Catriona Chandler On Bringing Gen Z Energy To The Rivals Set

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It’s been years since it was first announced, and we’ve been chomping at the bit for Rivals. Based on Jilly Cooper’s best-selling novel of the same name, it promises to introduce a whole new generation to our beloved Jillyverse – without pulling any punches. One such newbie is Catriona Chandler who stars as Caitlin O’Hara, youngest daughter of Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner), who we sat down with to hear all about filming.

Interview: Catriona Chandler On Rivals

Hi Catriona, how’s life going at the moment?

I’m really well, thank you! I’ve been spending a lot of time at home in Liverpool surrounded by close friends and family. And I’ve seemed to have gathered lots of life experience this summer that has come in unexpected ways, so I feel like I’ve grown up a bit too, these past couple of months.

You are about to star in Rivals on Disney+ – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

It’s a TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s iconic book, Rivals. It’s based on the fictional world of Rutshire and the people that live there. When Declan O’Hara (my character’s father) moves into this fictional countryside town, all hell breaks loose. People make friends, enemies and most of all, become lovers.

You play Caitlin O’Hara – how would you describe her?

Caitlin O’Hara is the youngest of the O’Haras. She’s a high-spirited teenage girl who’s completely obsessed with the local heartthrob Rupert Campbell Black. She’s devoted to her older sister Taggie and can often put her foot in it when in conversation with adults. Behind her hard and feisty exterior, she’s actually deeply worried about her parents’ marriage.

Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O’Hara in Rivals. (Robert Viglasky/Disney)

How did it feel when you got the part?

I was actually quite shocked! They said they were going to make a decision after Christmas, so to try and keep myself busy I just completely submerged myself in planning my birthday party in January – the ultimate distraction. So, by the time I’d recovered from the festivities I’d almost, almost, forgotten. I don’t have a natural RP accent either, so I was prepared for the role to go to someone from down south.

What was it like playing her?

So fun. Caitlin in this series has the best one liners, so it felt like my job was to dip in, deliver some hilarious lines, have a laugh on set and dip out again ready to do it all over again the following week. Of course, there are moments where Caitlin is vulnerable, but they’re rare so when they happen, it feels significant.

How did you get into character/prepare for the role?

I listened to a lot of Madonna, Bananarama and Wham. I also picked my mum’s brain to know what it was like to grow up in the ‘80s. I feel like Caitlin represents the youth of that iconic era. So many women have told me stories of secretly reading Jilly’s naughty books when they were 15 or 16 years old – which is Caitlin’s age. So, I’d love to think Caitlin represents that group of people and they can see her and go, ‘that’s what I was like! I used to wear that skirt, or have that poster, or roller-skate with freshly dyed pink hair.’

You star alongside David Tennant and Aidan Turner – what was the dynamic like on set?

All we did was giggle. The days when the O’Hara family were together were really lovely. Myself, Gabe and Bella became real siblings in our own dysfunctional way. Everyone was truly happy to be there so the vibe on set was always positive and really playful.

Any funny stories from rehearsals or filming?

Every day was such a laugh, and I’m not just saying that. But one day, the entire cast was in to shoot a huge scene that is the climax from Episode 8. There is always lots of time to kill between takes and set ups, so to keep myself entertained I started to make silly little TikToks. Everyone at first was like, ‘oh, here she is, what a Gen Z-er’ – but little by little they all wanted to be in it and have a slice! It resulted in a video of everyone lip-syncing to ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Tears for Fears and it has potential to be historic.

You’ve also recently starred in The Wives on Channel 5 – can you tell us a bit about that?

Yeah! The Wives is a murder mystery story based in Malta. It’s about a family that on the surface might seem perfect, but everything is not as it seems…

What is your character like?

I play Sky Morgan who is a 15-year-old teenager (luckily, I just had some practice already). The series picks up with my father and I returning to our holiday home in Malta where Sky’s mum passed away the previous year. But much to Sky’s dismay, he’s brought his new girlfriend with him. Sky is very much still mourning her mum and can’t find much of a reason to smile. She’s on her own little journey throughout the series trying to navigate the grief and feeling very disconnected from her father and the wives.

How did your experience on The Wives differ to Rivals?

It was different from Rivals on a lot of levels, which was a great experience for me because it allowed me to see how you need to adapt to different projects. Even down to the simple things, like being away from home in another country for three months. We were literally filming on the beach in the sun everyday which was dreamy and felt worlds apart from filming in an old Manor House in the rainy countryside in England. But both are equally charming. I got the best of both worlds because we wrapped on The Wives in April so I could step right into British summer when I got home.

Sky (Catriona Chandler), Charlie (Jamie Bamber), Beth (Jo Joyner), Frankie (Ben Willbond), Jade (Katie Clarkson-Hill), Sylvie (Tamzin Outhwaite), Sean (Jonathan Forbes) and Natasha (Angela Griffin) gather at the foot of the cliff for Annabelle’s memorial. (Channel 5)

What has been your favourite project to date?

I’m still so early days, so each project I’ve done has left a special mark on me in their own different way. I’m yet to have a bad experience really, so I’m very lucky. However, if it was based on excitement and pure awe, I’d have to say Pistol. It was my first ever screen job and felt like a dream come true to even be in the room for a project of that scale. From being directed by Danny Boyle, to the insane latex consumes and to the cast and crew. That job was a window into the industry for me and got me hooked.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

My co-star in Pistol, Sade Malone, who played my best mate and became my best mate in real life! We had instant chemistry and really enjoyed playing those characters.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Watching everyone on the Rivals set do their thing. There are so many seasoned actors in the show, so to be able to just observe how they would interpret a scene, or tackle an accent that was different from their own or even how they’d present themselves on set. That was the biggest learning curve.

What’s your dream role?

I don’t know, because maybe it’s not been created yet… But! The existing role I’d love to play is either The Bride in Kill Bill, or Baby in Dirty Dancing. Very different but equally as iconic.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I’d love to do more comedy. I really enjoyed taking on Caitlin’s big personality and wittiness in Rivals, so I think it would be really interesting to see how far I could push myself in that genre.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I live in Liverpool, so town/city? I really love my city. I think it’s the perfect balance between the fast and slow pace of life. Saying that, my dream is to one day have a house in the country in Cheshire. Fulfilling my Real Housewives of Cheshire fantasy.

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

Get braces sooner rather than later. No, I’m joking. I’d say: People care so much less than you think!

How can we all live a little bit better?

Allowing ourselves to give time to nurture our creative side.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’ve got a couple projects lined up at the end of the year which I’m looking forward to. And I’m off on holiday next week, yay!